A bee at the Honeycomb

Coming from England has such advantages when you go travelling as almost everywhere you go they speak English (in some cases better than we do!) however it has the tendency to perhaps make us a little lazy. I always imagined if I moved to another country that I would learn the local language. I’m sure somewhere we can hear my language teachers laughing at the absurdity of this idea. After 2 years of Spanish I can only remember one phrase which is to ask if there is a chemist nearby. Perhaps not the most everyday phrase but I do it with a killer accent! So far, after living here for 3 months I have nailed ‘Dumela Mma / Rra’ and if I’m feeling really brave I may ask them ‘Le kae’ to which they may answer ‘Re teng’ which I then repeat. As I’m sure even the non-Setswana speakers have guessed this is just Hello, how are you and fine. Not exactly the longest conversation but enough for an initial greeting at the various Council offices I have been lucky enough to visit. I do know a few ...

Loose parts play is a term I only came across recently but is something I am a big believer in. Put simply it is where children are given a selection of things to play with that don’t have a specific play function e.g. Not a wind-up car or a Barbie Doll, but items that can engage each child in their own unique way. The loose parts don’t have to be ‘toys’ as such but can easily become them. Cupboards a little bare at the moment, roll on the arrival of our container! One of my first thoughts when I read this was my kitchen cupboard and the number of times it has been emptied (I’d love to add always with permission …. But I am not sure that would be strictly true!). My boys love a saucepan, a ladle, a colander but do not be fooled in to thinking that is all that these objects are. They have certainly been used as different cooking pots, and I have been given a wide variety of imaginary food to eat from them – chocolate cake, rainbow pie and troll feet to name but a few! ...

I had another blog post planned for this week, which was even written and ready to be edited by my wonderful mother in law – she checks that my ramble actually makes sense, a tough job for anyone! However, I felt that this blog which is almost an open letter of apology to the parents of every child I have ever taught, was far more important. It is just coming up to 9pm and I am sitting in my kitchen having manically been baking. I haven’t had any supper, the kitchen is a tip and the packed lunches are not even half made. Why? Because when my husband dropped our children off at nursery today the Big One’s wonderful teacher said, ‘have you seen the letter about Own countries day on Friday (aka tomorrow)?’ As I’m sure you have guessed, we hadn’t, even though I check their bags religiously in fear of this happening. On Friday all children in Big One’s class are to dress in their national dress and to bring a national dish to share. I have been out of the house all day workin...

My new years resolution for 2017 was to have adventures. I find it difficult to keep resolutions (stop biting my nails has been a resolution for the past 25 years) and frequently make new week and new day resolutions. So I thought that a fairly broad one may be accomplishable in many small ways.  Camping at Fisherground Campsite, Eskdale in February 2017 We went camping, had lots of mini adventures to make full use of our National Trust card but I’d say that our moving to Botswana may have taken the biscuit on having adventures! I think it is safe to say that I have finally accomplished a New Years resolution – but I am not letting that stop us. All the way through our relocation we have had lots of mini adventures – having a company pack up our house, dropping our car at the docks, a few days in Dubai visiting friends and seeing what it is like walking round a country where you feel as though you are being constantly blown by a warm hairdryer.   Watching the musi...